Pro Sports Blogging » Hayden Ballardhttp://www.prosportsblogging.com
24/7 Real Sports TalkTue, 28 Jul 2015 02:53:39 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2Rangers Solid Start to Spring Traininghttp://www.prosportsblogging.com/2014/02/27/rangers-solid-start-to-spring-training/
http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2014/02/27/rangers-solid-start-to-spring-training/#commentsFri, 28 Feb 2014 00:36:01 +0000Hayden Ballardhttp://www.prosportsblogging.com/?p=102823In Surprise, Arizona, the Rangers received all they could ask for from their respective starters. Yu Darvish had full command of his fastball that sat between 93-95 mph as he threw 23 of 29 pitches for strikes. Darvish struck out four batters in his two innings of work. Something that Greg Maddux hinted at this [...]]]>

In Surprise, Arizona, the Rangers received all they could ask for from their respective starters. Yu Darvish had full command of his fastball that sat between 93-95 mph as he threw 23 of 29 pitches for strikes. Darvish struck out four batters in his two innings of work. Something that Greg Maddux hinted at this offseason is for the Japanese pitcher to start throwing more fastballs and getting ahead in the count early. Well, he did just that. All eight batters that he faced saw a first pitch fastball. “I think it worked out very well,” Darvish said.

Something that Darvish wasn’t used to last year was having an early lead, or a lead at all. “Hopefully we can turn that around,” said Prince Fielder who absolutely crushed a bullet over the right field fence in his second at bat. The Rangers lead 4-0 before Darvish was done for the day and finished with an 11-7 victory. “I just got lucky…he threw the ball where my bat was going,” Fielder said about his homer that was no shy of at least 350 feet.

Michael Choice saw action against two lefty’s at the plate and was 2-2. Seeing that Choice is going to be facing plenty of southpaws this year, his performance was a good sign. Adrian Beltre knocked a double and walked once while scoring on both trips on the bases. Mitch Moreland had an RBI single hitting as the DH today. Newly acquired catcher J.P. Arencibia also legged out a double and had one RBI. Tommy Hanson threw 1.1 innings giving up 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 strikeout and an unearned run. Hanson’s fastball stayed around 89-90 mph.

The Texas Rangers and The Kansas City Royals are back in action tomorrow at 2:05 p.m. CT.

]]>http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2014/02/27/rangers-solid-start-to-spring-training/feed/0Yu Darvish to Start Opening Dayhttp://www.prosportsblogging.com/2014/01/25/yu-darvish-to-start-opening-day/
http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2014/01/25/yu-darvish-to-start-opening-day/#commentsSat, 25 Jan 2014 21:44:06 +0000Hayden Ballardhttp://www.prosportsblogging.com/?p=102705If it wasn’t already obvious enough, manager Ron Washington confirmed after a fan asked the question today at Rangers Fan Fest, Yu Darvish will be the opening day starter as long as he is healthy. “I think it’s obvious,” said Washington. “It’s Darvish.” The 27 year old year is working out in Japan as he [...]]]>

If it wasn’t already obvious enough, manager Ron Washington confirmed after a fan asked the question today at Rangers Fan Fest, Yu Darvish will be the opening day starter as long as he is healthy.

“I think it’s obvious,” said Washington. “It’s Darvish.”

The 27 year old year is working out in Japan as he has the potential to win the Cy Young award after receiving 2nd place to Max Scherzer in 2013. Darvish finished 13-9 with a 2.83 ERA in 209 2/3 innings. He also led the league in strikeouts with 277. The win-loss record could have been better had he received better run support.

Recently voted in Hall of Famer Greg Maddux has nothing but praise the the Japanese pitcher he has been working with. “The sky is the limit for him.”

Last year, Darvish started game two on the road and lost his perfect game bid with two outs in the 9th on a single up the middle. This season, Yu Darvish gets the nod on Opening Day against Philadelphia and the game will be played in Arlington, Texas.

]]>http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2014/01/25/yu-darvish-to-start-opening-day/feed/0Quick Look at 2nd Base: Jurickson Profarhttp://www.prosportsblogging.com/2014/01/25/quick-look-at-2nd-base-jurickson-profar/
http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2014/01/25/quick-look-at-2nd-base-jurickson-profar/#commentsSat, 25 Jan 2014 18:18:53 +0000Hayden Ballardhttp://www.prosportsblogging.com/?p=102691Ever since the big trade that sent Ian Kinsler to Detroit and brought Prince Fielder to Texas, second base has been assigned to 20 year old youngster Jurickson Profar. “We lost a good teammate, but it’s something that’s good for me,” Profar said. “I have a position now.” However, it isn’t a sure thing. Luis [...]]]>

Ever since the big trade that sent Ian Kinsler to Detroit and brought Prince Fielder to Texas, second base has been assigned to 20 year old youngster Jurickson Profar.

“We lost a good teammate, but it’s something that’s good for me,” Profar said. “I have a position now.”

However, it isn’t a sure thing. Luis Sardinas and Rougned Odor are top prospects within the Texas organization that play in the middle infield as well and are also working out with the MLB roster, but the edge is given to Profar because he has the most big league experience out of the three young guys.

Profar was called up in mid May of 2013 after Kinsler suffered his rib injury and remained on the roster for the rest of the season. Once Kinsler returned, the playing time was scattered not only day-by-day, but position-by-position for Profar. He started 75 games at five different positions — second base, short stop, third base, left field, and as designated hitter.

The inconsistent playing time gave Profar more of a utility role and his numbers showed just that. He hit .234, and scored 30 runs, hit 11 doubles, 6 home runs, 26 RBI, and swiped two bases.

The switch hitter needs to relax and find a rhythm during Spring Training. Working with Elvis Andrus on double plays will be a very important task as the Rangers are usually known for turning-two.

Another big factor of Profar’s game is plate discipline. If he does in fact earn the starting role, he will be batting at the bottom of a very potent offensive lineup and needs to see pitches. Whether it is by drawing walks, or finding a fastball he can handle, Profar needs to get on base and become a big role player in scoring runs.

“I just have to play, concentrate on being me and help the team win,” Profar said. “There is no pressure, I just have to focus on being me.”

]]>http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2014/01/25/quick-look-at-2nd-base-jurickson-profar/feed/2With Holland Out, Is Tepesch In?http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2014/01/24/with-holland-out-is-tepesch-in/
http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2014/01/24/with-holland-out-is-tepesch-in/#commentsFri, 24 Jan 2014 06:11:49 +0000Hayden Ballardhttp://www.prosportsblogging.com/?p=102659Nick Tepesch is eyeing a spot in the rotation once again. He had decent numbers for a rookie in 17 starts in 2013. He went 4-6 with a 4.84 ERA. The radar gun isn’t a particular item you break out when Tepesch is on the mound as he averages a fastball around 91-92 mph. When [...]]]>

Nick Tepesch is eyeing a spot in the rotation once again. He had decent numbers for a rookie in 17 starts in 2013. He went 4-6 with a 4.84 ERA. The radar gun isn’t a particular item you break out when Tepesch is on the mound as he averages a fastball around 91-92 mph.
When he got in trouble, he relied heavily on his slider and curve and became predictable to hitters. This offseason and going into spring training, Nick is working on his change-up to add to the arsenal. The change of speed makes a bigger difference to batters than a slider moving horizontally at almost the same speed as the fastball.
Tepesch had won the job last season after spring training, but sat out the second half with elbow inflammation. He is already stretched out and used to being a starter as opposed to relievers Robbie Ross and Tanner Scheppers who are also working out to become emergency starters.
“It’s definitely unfortunate what happened to Derek,” Tepesch said. “I hope he gets better as soon as possible. From my standpoint, I’m not changing anything. My goal coming into Spring Training is to win a job.”
The Rangers southpaw suffered a knee injury in a fall at home last week. The good news is that he did not take any damage to his ACL or MCL, but the bad news is that he did tear cartilage. As of right now, it is looking like Holland is going to be out until at least mid-season.
“I’m devastated by this injury,” Holland said. “It was a freak accident at home that resulted in a hard fall on my knee”.
Holland loves hockey and played in a club game on Monday night, and suffered his injury Tuesday. Hockey is a tough sport and it is possible that he could have been hurt then and is covering up the injury. Holland is known to be a funny, goofy guy, but I personally don’t think he put his baseball career at risk over a friendly hockey game. Although, slipping and falling on the ice can happen to anyone at any time.
According to Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News, Holland suffered the injury on Tuesday January 7th. On Friday January 10th, he underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee and the early word from general manager Jon Daniels is that Holland “won’t be ready for spring training or the beginning of the season”.
After an impressive 2013 season that was by far the most consistent of any pitcher in the league, Holland is going to have to work even harder to follow it up in his return. He was the only Ranger that did not miss a start. He finished with 213 innings, a 3.42 ERA, and 189 strikeouts. Heading into the 2014 season, Holland was more than likely going to be the number two guy in the rotation behind Yu Darvish.
Speculation of trying to sign Japanese free agent Masahiro Tanaka immediately began after the injury, but GM Jon Daniels shot down the hope insisting the team will look inside the organization for help.
The fifth spot in the rotation should be Tepesch’s to lose. Yu Darvish is the ace, followed by lefty’s Martin Perez and Matt Harrison. Injury prone Alexi Ogando looks to be the fourth starter.

]]>http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2014/01/24/with-holland-out-is-tepesch-in/feed/0Texas Rangers 2014 Previewhttp://www.prosportsblogging.com/2014/01/22/texas-rangers-2014-preview/
http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2014/01/22/texas-rangers-2014-preview/#commentsWed, 22 Jan 2014 21:07:08 +0000Hayden Ballardhttp://www.prosportsblogging.com/?p=102656The 2014 Major League Baseball season is just around the corner and spring training is even closer! More wheeling and dealing could happen in the next month, but for the most part every team has their roster set. Except a power bat is still looming in free agency, Nelson Cruz. Cruz has been a middle [...]]]>

The 2014 Major League Baseball season is just around the corner and spring training is even closer! More wheeling and dealing could happen in the next month, but for the most part every team has their roster set. Except a power bat is still looming in free agency, Nelson Cruz. Cruz has been a middle of the order guy for Texas who can hit the long ball, but he turns 34 this year and is still asking for too much money. The Rangers signed Shin-Soo Choo to a long term deal as his replacement. Although if Cruz comes down to a reasonable price, he could be signed as the DH due to lack of physical shape in comparison to Choo, Rios, Martin, and even recently trade pick up Michael Choice. With the sign of Choo, and the trade involving Kinsler for Fielder, the Rangers actually increased OBP, and received more power than the lineup had last season.

Shin-Soo Choo led the league among lead off hitters last year with an OBP of .432. Ian Kinsler was fifth with .355, which is highly desirable among most teams and the reason Texas dealt him to Detroit for power hitting first baseman Prince Fielder. An upgrade from great to best in the league with Choo, who can also hit the long ball. Signing Choo allows the Rangers to leave Leonys Martin and Jurickson Profar in the 8 and 9 holes to develop mechanics and production without much pressure. If they do happen to get on base and steal often, Choo’s RBI total will more than likely be the highest in the league among lead off hitters.

Elvis Andrus will be able to permanently bat from the second spot in the order this year with the signing of Choo. Without Choo, Martin was going to be the lead off hitter and Andrus would only slide up barring injury. Andrus is better off as the “sacrifice”. He is a contact hitter and knows how to lay down a bunt when needed. When Kinsler missed time with a chest injury, Andrus filled the lead off spot and his numbers suffered tremendously. He hit .189 with an OBP of .254. A short stop isn’t traditionally known for having a big bat, but if his numbers can increase, let them. In his career he has a .274 avg., which dropped last year due to a .271 avg. His career OBP is .339, which dropped due to a .328 OBP in 2013. Andrus is phenomenal on defense and has good numbers offensively for a short stop, and he should be back to normal next season hitting in the 2 hole.

Prince Fielder should provide the extra power in the middle of the lineup that Texas missed last year. Prince barely played during his first MLB season at 21 years of age, but the next eight years have been very solid for the big lefty. He has hit at least 25 home runs in every season, and over 100 RBI in six of the eight seasons. Fielder has taken a walk in at least 75 plate appearances in seven of the eight seasons. He has a career .527 slugging percentage and played in all 162 games in the past 3 years. Fielder is a native of Texas, so the heat shouldn’t cause any fatigue. Arlington is known for the jet stream blowing out to right center, therefore creating opportunities for him to produce even bigger numbers. The numbers were down last year for the lefty, but he had personal issues and his focus wasn’t always on baseball. He said he is ready for a new beginning and I believe that he has the ability to hit around 40 home runs and 120 RBI in Texas this year.

Adrian Beltre has hit mostly from the cleanup spot and manager Ron Washington says he doesn’t plan on making a change with the addition of Fielder. Ever since the Rangers acquired the gold glover in the hot corner, his power numbers at the plate have increased. The jet stream in the ballpark contributes to some flight on the ball, but don’t underestimate Beltre’s power. When he gets a hold of the ball, it flies far. In his 13 seasons prior to Texas, mostly in LA and Seattle with one year in Boston, Beltre only had 2 seasons with an average above .300, and one came in Boston where the fences are known to be a little short in the corners. Two of his three seasons in Texas have been over .300 and the other was just under at .296. He has hit 30 or more home runs each year in Texas and over 100 RBI in two of the years. His OBP and SLG have also increased. Those kind of numbers are supposed to decrease as a players career nears 20 seasons, but the Ballpark in Arlington is giving him a new life. With Fielder in front and Rios behind Beltre in the order, the slugger should have another significant season at the plate.

Alex Rios was acquired from the White Sox last season after Nelson Cruz was suspended for the usage of PED’s. Rios has spent 10 years in the majors, all in the American League, and has been primarily a number three hitter in some lineups not known to put up exciting numbers. He hits home runs in the teens every year and can steal 20 bases, too. Instead of being looked at to extend the inning, Rios can now relax and just swing the bat from the five hole. Some of his home runs will actually knock somebody in besides himself. Washington likes his players to be aggressive on the bases, and with mostly contact hitters behind him, look for Rios to be on the move in hit and runs, and also pure steals. He is coming off his best year at swiping bases with 42. Playing a full year in Texas and hitting behind Fielder and Beltre will also give him an opportunity to hit over 2o home runs. The RBI total may go down because of those guys, but he should be on base more because he will see better pitches to hit.

Geovany Soto has been the backup catcher for the past year and a half since being acquired from the Cubs. The inconsistent playing time has caused a drop in his batting statistics, but he’s a catcher, he doesn’t have to hit that well. He calls a great game from behind the plate as the Rangers have won over 70% of the games he has caught. It is possible that they caught a hot streak or he is just that good at pitch calling; whatever it is, the Rangers like it. In 2014, Soto will be the starter and his numbers at the plate should increase. His home run total should be near the up-teens and RBI total should trend upwards as well. The catcher has had plenty of rest in the last two years, so durability shouldn’t be a question.

Mitch Moreland has spent all four years of his career in Texas and has been the starting first baseman in the last three. However, acquiring Prince Fielder via trade, talks of trading Moreland in a package deal have occurred. If he stays in Texas, he will more than likely serve as the DH. As a starter, he has hit 15 or more home runs and 50 or more RBI each season. Those are not the typical numbers you want to see out of a first baseman, especially a left handed hitter that plays in Texas. Maybe he will be able to focus solely on hitting and put up the big numbers we have been expecting as the DH. If not, the Rangers have gained Michael Choice in the trade with Oakland giving them Craig Gentry. Choice is young and excited to play for the professional club right next to his home town. Choice is also a power hitter that can play outfield. If Moreland doesn’t get the job done early, be watching for a trade to bring in a better hitter.

Jurickson Profar hasn’t even reached the age of 21 yet, and hasn’t played in over 100 games yet either. The youngster saw action at short stop, second base, third base, left field and a game at first base last year. He never played on a regular basis so the numbers are lacking, but with Kinsler gone, he is now the starting second baseman. We will truly see how good he is and if he lives up to the hype. On the bright side, he did have an OBP of .308.

Leonys Martin is also another young guy the Rangers have a hold on for awhile. He has shown discipline at the plate and can draw walks which is why his OBP is at .306 in his young career. Although he is prone to the strike out with 104 in his first full season as a starter last year. When Martin gets on base, he is a threat to steal as he swiped 36 bases in 2013.

If Martin and Profar keep getting on and stealing bases in the 2014 season, the top of the order is going to have plenty of success in knocking in runs. The Rangers should be back in business with their offense and with a healthy rotation could win over 100 games. Yu Darvish is coming off of a Cy Young runner-up performance. Matt Harrison should be well rested coming off of back surgery after only two starts last year, and Martin Perez hopes to build off his 2013 campaign. With Holland set for a mid season return, from his knee surgery, Alexi Ogando, Nick Tepesch, or Robbie Ross will fill two of the remaining spots in the rotation.